How To Exercise Calf Muscles After Laparoscopic Hysterectomy

After a laparoscopic hysterectomy, it is important to exercise your calf muscles to prevent blood clots from forming in your lower legs. This can be a problem due to the demobilization that you may experience after having a hysterectomy. Decrease your risk of blood clots after a laparoscopic hysterectomy with low-impact calf exercises that you can do while lying down.

Instructions

• 1

  Straighten your legs and lay flat on your back. Keeping your leg straight, raise your left leg up as far as you comfortably can. Keep your foot flexed. Hold for five seconds, then slowly bring your leg down. Repeat with your right leg. Do five repetitions for each leg.

• 2

  Flex your feet and point your toes to the ceiling. Rotate your left ankle in small circles. If you want to make it more challenging, raise your ankle off of the bed and continue. Repeat with your right leg. Do twenty rotations on each side.

• 3

  Slide your right leg up until your knee is at a 45-degree angle. Put weight on your right leg to raise your bottom slightly off of the bed, about 1 to 2 inches. Slowly lower back down and return your leg to the starting position. Repeat with your right leg. Do five repetitions for each leg.

• 4

  Place a resistance band on the bottom of your feet while laying down. Grip the ends of the band comfortably in either hand. Working against the resistance, slowly bring your knees up to a 45-degree angle. Hold for five seconds and then slowly return your legs to the starting position. Do 10 repetitions.

• 5

  Place the resistance band across the bottom of both feet and grip the ends of the band in either hand. Simultaneously swing your legs outward, going as far as you can against the resistance of the band. Count to five, then slowly bring your legs back to the starting position. Complete ten repetitions.